Privacy Policy

British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa
Personal Information Protection Policy and Guiding Principles

The purpose of the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa, hereafter referred to as BIFHSGO, is to encourage and facilitate research and its publication by people with ancestry in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

BIFHSGO is committed to respecting the privacy of our members and their families by adhering to the privacy principles set forth in Schedule 1 of the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act. Those principles are:

Principle 1. Accountability
The Executive is accountable for compliance with this policy. The President is responsible for the management of the policy, including the guiding principles. The President can be contacted at president@bifhsgo.ca.

Principle 2. Identifying Purposes
BIFHSGO only collects personal information necessary to provide a volunteer program and to meet the individual development needs of each member. Name, address and other contact information concerning membership and event registration form a permanent record for members. All other information is kept only as long as required to fulfill the purposes identified, unless permission is obtained from the individual providing the information.

Principle 3. Consent
All members and non-members will have the ability to consent to the uses of their personal information. A person grants, through the act of registering for membership or other events, consent to the use of personal information by Executive members and those BIFHSGO members designated by the Executive, for the purposes of providing members with BIFHSGO publications, informing members of BIFHSGO activities, and for analysis. Signing membership or registration forms or registering online will be considered consent. BIFHSGO will assume consent is granted unless a member indicates otherwise.

Principle 4. Limiting Collection
BIFHSGO will explain the purpose for collecting each piece of personal information. If it is necessary to use the personal information collected for a purpose not identified when the information was collected, consent for the new use will be obtained from members.

Principle 5. Limiting Use, Disclosure and Retention

BIFHSGO will use the personal information obtained from members and non-members only for the purposes for which it was collected, and will not disclose the information for other purposes except as noted in Principle 3, Consent, or as required by applicable law. All personal information provided to BIFHSGO will be maintained in a secure manner to ensure that its use is limited to the purposes for which it was collected. Name, address and information concerning membership and or registration will be retained by BIFHSGO permanently. Other personal information will be retained by BIFHSGO for whatever periods are required by legislation governing our operation and/or the information provided, after which time the information will be destroyed in a secure manner (unless consent is given to keep information for a longer period). If there is no legislative requirement to retain other information it will be kept for 24 months from the time it was provided.

Principle 6. Accuracy
Members will have the ability to view and review data provided on their application for membership at any time. Individuals may, on presentation of a document establishing their identity to the President, be able to find out whether personal information is on file with BIFHSGO, and if so consult it free of charge. A request may also be made in writing or by telephone to view information. A charge may apply for the transcription, reproduction, or transmission of the information.

Principle 7. Safeguards
BIFHSGO will assess and implement appropriate measures to properly protect personal data. These measures will be subject to independent audit to ensure their effectiveness.

Principle 8. Openness
This policy and the processes and procedures for obtaining access to personal information will be available to any individual through our website and in the compilation of our bylaws, policies and procedures. If any individual has a question regarding personal information, it may be directed to the President at president@bifhsgo.ca.

Principle 9. Individual Access
Individuals will have access to their personal information provided on the application for membership at any time. On request to the President, individuals will be informed of the existence, use and any disclosure of their personal information, and will be given access to view that information. An individual may challenge the accuracy and completeness of the information, and have it corrected or amended as appropriate.

Principle 10. Challenging Compliance
Individuals may challenge BIFHSGO compliance with this policy by contacting the President. Procedures will be established to deal with an individual’s concern in an appropriate and timely fashion.

Definitions:

Member: an individual who has completed an application for membership, has been accepted for membership and has paid the annual membership fee for the current year has been granted a membership for the current year or holds a Life membership as granted by the Executive.

Non-Member: an individual who attends or registers for an event or activity sponsored by BIFHSGO but is not a member.